What to do when losing nails?

Going through breast cancer treatment Top tips and practical support
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Hello all,

I wondered if I could get some practical tips and suggestions.

I’ve finished chemo but it’s really damaged my nails. My finger nails have all lifted. Just this week, both my thumbnails became loose and ripped off right across the middle, exposing half of the nail beds! Eek!

It’s tender and super sensitive when things touch the exposed nail beds and things like doing up buttons, opening cans etc are pretty much impossible.

How have people coped? Putting a dressing on it, grit teeth and pray you won’t bump your finger on things while the nail grows back in about 6 months???

I’ve been using nail polish throughout chemo and after; daily nail oil and now polybalm.

Any good advice–Thanks a bunch!

2 Likes
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Welcome to the forum @scherzo1 . I haven’t had this issue but I’m sure other forum users have and hopefully will be along soon with some helpful advice .Best wishes Jill

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Hi
Sorry to hear you are going through this. I did have most of my finger nails lift following chemo and i just held them down using micropore tape and the nails kept on growing so kept clipping them as short as was comfortable. I was lucky and didn’t have any exposure of the nail beds. I also lost some toenails but they were pushed off by new growth so no nail bed exposure there either. I would continue with the nail oil as that should speed up regrowth. I had used black nail polish throughout Chemo but stopped using all nail polish after chemo as I think the nail polish can stop the nail oil being fully absorbed. Hope that helps.

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Hi
Sorry to hear. One of my big toenails was affected by chemo. I had a big ridge develop which I let grow out - it has taken over a year - I just kept cutting and filing until the new nail underneath pushed it up and it is nearly to the top now. It recently became too thick to cut myself as it was like a double thickness nail so saw a podiatrist last week who cut as much as she could and said just keep filing now til its gone. My fingernails (although always brittle) split a lot. GP just advised plenty of hand cream/wearing rubber gloves for cleaning and take Biotin daily. Too early to say if that is working as only been a couple of weeks. Good luck. x

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Hi
I didnt lose any nails but used polybalm throughput on toes and hands

You need to be mindful about infections

As you’ve lost some keep clean and use dressings until they heal

Use moisturiser as they are likely to be dry and clip short but be careful not to cut yourself

Wear gloves and marigolds

Good luck

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Micropore tape–I must go get this! Thanks so much for your suggestions. I also used black nail polish during chemo and got bored of the colour at one point!

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Thanks! I’ve only found out about polybalm after chemo but have been using them daily now. I hope it still will make a difference.

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I hope the Biotin might make a difference for you. I’m also thinking of going to see a podiatrist if cutting them gets tricky. Did you find one yourself or referred from GP/nurse?

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Just found one locally who had good reviews. X